


The Difference of a Summer

by Kateera



Series: All In a Summer [24]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Back to School, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 16:05:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12535708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateera/pseuds/Kateera
Summary: Oswald is headed to his first day of school as the boyfriend of Jim Gordon and he's a little nervous.





	The Difference of a Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Prompt, Free Space. I decided on The First Day of School.  
> School is here and it's the end of this adventure. Thank you all for coming along for this sweet and fluffy ride!
> 
> This would not have been possible without [thekeyholder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekeyholder) and her pushing and beta skills.  
> All other mistakes are my own.
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_) to say hi and ask questions and flail over Gobblepot.

The sun peeked over the horizon as Oswald slipped on his shoes and grabbed his dingy backpack from beside the door. Throwing a quick glance to the clock, he winced and raced out the door before his mother’s alarm could go off. 

A meeting with Mr. Gilzean and Miss. Mooney was not something Oswald could be late for. If his mother caught him sneaking out, there would be sobs and speeches about how her little boy was growing up.

_ Love you, mom, but I’m not risking this job for your annual back to school breakdown. _

Maneuvering through the thick fog of Gotham in the morning, Oswald made his way to the club and through the back door. A large man stood next to the entrance, but Oswald made a fist and the man smiled. 

“Hey Oswald, what’s got you up so early?”

They exchanged their customary greeting, a fist bump, two hand slaps, and another fist bump.

“Meeting with Gilzean and Mooney,” Oswald said as he moved into the building. “Figured being early would be a good thing.”

“Smart thinking.” The man gestured to a door behind him. “Head on up.”

“Thanks.” Oswald waved goodbye and entered the main room, skirting the edge of the stage to find Mr. Gilzean waiting for him at the bar.

“Get over here, kid.” He patted the stool next to him and Oswald climbed up. “Knew you’d be early.”

“Punctuality is important.” Oswald rested his elbows on the bar. “Where’s Miss. Mooney?”

“So, this is the little upstart who’s been making you look good, Butch.”

Oswald turned and gave a wide smile. “Hello. Miss Mooney. I’m Oswald Cobblepot.”

Miss. Mooney looked him over, grabbing his chin and turning his head to the side while her nails dug into his skin. He held still, not sure what the inspection was about, but determined not to fail.

“You’re not my usual type,” Miss. Mooney said, leaning on Butch and giving him a thin smile. “But you’ve got spirit. I like spirit. It means there’s a chance for you to show initiative.”

“I’ll try my best, ma’am.” Carefully placing his hands in his lap, Oswald threaded his fingers together to control his shaking.

“Alright, we’ll give it a try.” Reaching over Mr. Gilzean, Miss. Mooney pulled out a black leather messenger bag and handed it to Oswald with a smile. “A new job comes with perks and that old backpack of yours is a disgrace. Try this out and meet us back here after school.” Her smile turned wicked. “Let’s see how much initiative you have.”

Oswald swallowed hard and took the bag, brushing his hands over the soft leather. “I’ll be here. I won’t let you down.”

“See that you don’t.” Miss. Mooney turned to her second in command. “Sorry, Butch, looks like you’ll need to find a new errand boy.”

Oswald smiled and hopped off the stool, hugging the bag to his chest as he gave them a swift bow. “Thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you.”

Miss. Mooney waved him off. “I don’t want thanks. I want loyalty. Off you go.”

Oswald bowed again and ran for the back door, yelling goodbye to the guard as he burst onto the street.

_ No more Mr. Gilzean, or fetching suits, or being yelled at by customers. _

He couldn’t contain his excitement and the alley behind the club filled with his shouts of joy.

“Hey! Stop that racket!”

Ducking behind a dumpster, Oswald looked around and found an old man peering down at him from two stories up. “Sorry, just excited.”

“Well, take it somewhere else. We’re trying to sleep.” The man disappeared into his apartment and Oswald snickered as his robe caught in the door of his balcony. 

He transferred his school supplies to his new bag and slipped it on his shoulder, throwing his old one in the trash. He smiled and headed down the street, off to the first day of school.

 

****

 

“Oswald! Over here!”

Picking up speed, Oswald threw himself into Jim’s arms, laughing as Jim lifted him and spun him in the air. There was a lightness in his heart at the feel of Jim surrounding him. Oswald blushed as Brandon and Jane clapped and whistled. 

Jim set him back on his feet with a grin. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Oswald ran a hand through his hair, trying to reshape it after Jim’s manhandling. “Did you have to be so rough?”

“Yes,” Jim said with a cheeky grin. “Where’d you get the bag?”

“Miss. Mooney gave it to me.” Oswald held it up and admired it. “It comes with my new job.”

“New job?”

“Yeah, I don’t work for Mr. Gilzean anymore,” Oswald said, giving the bag a pat. “I’m moving up.”

“Wow,” Jim said, shuffling back and forth on his feet. “That’s different.”

Oswald smiled and pulled him close, ignoring the whistles behind them. “I’ll be careful, I promise. I can’t have you worrying all the time.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want me to get any  gray hair.”

“Well, I don’t know. You might look distinguished.”

“And maybe I’ll grow a  mustache and wear khaki all the time.”

Oswald scrunched up his face and shook his head. “No, anything but that.”

A loud obnoxious bell sound filled the yard and students wandered in the direction of the school entrance. 

Oswald grabbed Jim’s arm. “Wait. Just another minute.”

Grinning and nodding, Jim pulled at him into a hidden corner of the building, pressing him against the cold concrete. He leaned down and kissed him and Oswald melted. When they came back up for air, quiet filled the yard and Oswald peeked around the corner. Only a few students still lingered in the yard.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to class.” Jim held out his hand. “I’ve got first period free, but I’m sticking around for the assembly.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Oswald said with a groan, taking his hand and following him to the building. “What exactly is the point of spirit yells? To embarrass everyone?”

“I think it’s to build school unity.”

“Someone needs to tell them it’s not working.”

Jim swung open the doors and Oswald swallowed against the lump in his throat.

_ This is it, the last chance Jim has to distance himself from the school weirdo. _

“Are you sure about this?” Oswald asked, holding up their joined hands. “You know I’ll understand if you want to, I don’t know, hide us for a bit?”

Jim bit his lip and shook his head. “No.  I mean, I never thought I’d be walking back to school with a boyfriend, but I’m not going to ever let anyone think I’m ashamed.”

A glow seemed to surround Jim as he talked, a brightness in his eyes as he spoke. Oswald felt caught in the breathtaking beauty of Jim’s conviction. For all his ambition and drive, Oswald still lived in awe of someone loving him, boldly and without shame. Jim’s proud declaration proved that Oswald had been blessed that day behind the supermarket.

I love him, so much that it scares me.

“I love you,” Oswald said, dragging Jim’s face down and kissing him.

A hush fell over the hall, but Oswald refused to look around. He broke the kiss and kept his eyes on Jim, pushing down his panic and letting the soft look of love in those blue eyes keep him from running.

“You’re a marvel.” Jim whispered before turning to the crowd and taking Oswald’s hand in his own. Clutching his new leather bag to his chest, Oswald stayed close to Jim as they walked through the silent crowd. He could feel his skin turning red while people stared. A wolf whistle broke the silence and then small smattering of clapping came from the back. As more applause spread through the crowd, Oswald looked back to see Brandon giving him a thumbs up sign and whistling again.

Noise returned to the hallway and people turned back to their lockers and gossip. Oswald followed Jim and  marveled at the amount of people who waved or said hello to them. 

Reaching his locker, Oswald spun the lock and popped the door open. “How could I have forgotten that you’re mister popular?” Oswald asked, looking sideways as a member of the basketball team gave Jim a high five.

“It’s not that bad,” Jim said with a small smirk, taking out his phone. “Here, I want a picture before you bolt.”

Oswald huffed in annoyance, but turned around and smiled. “You’re a giant dork.” They squeezed together, Jim taking the picture and Oswald trying not to hide his face in his shoulder.

_ I’m dreaming. This is just a dream and I’m going to wake up and it will be the first day of school with no Jim and no job- _

“Stop thinking,” Jim said, pushing against his side and pressing a kiss to his temple. “I can feel your brain heating up.”

“I keep thinking this is a dream.” Oswald looked at the ground. “You know, you kind of shouldn’t be so nice to me.”

Placing two fingers under his chin, Jim raised Oswald’s head up until their eyes met. “You know, you’re a dummy when you talk like that.” A harsh bell rang and Jim pulled Oswald away from the wall. “We can talk about this later. Get to class before you’re late.”

Blowing Jim a kiss, Oswald raced through the halls, dodging other students and making it to his classroom as the last bell rang.

 

****

 

Spending his lunchtime with Jim and his friends, watching other students whisper and point, Oswald leaned into the safe circle of Jim’s arms and tried to ignore the stares. It made for a tense eating experience, but no one bothered them. When Jane broke her cookie in half and shared it with him, he even managed to relax a little and smile. After lunch, he kissed Jim goodbye and headed to history, glad that the day was almost over.

_ Not such a bad day. I can make it. _

History passed in boredom, most of the class taken up with introductions and games, and Oswald found himself participating in the nonsense with less of his usual snark.

_ Jim is to blame for this. _

When the bell rang, Oswald took off for his last class, German, a concession to his mother ' s pressure to learn a language. He grabbed a seat and searched through his bag for a notebook and pencil.

“Is this seat taken?”

Oswald gasped and looked up, Jim’s blue eyes twinkling and his mouth stretched in a wide grin.

“What are you doing here?” Oswald hissed, looking around the room for the teacher.

“Learning German,” Jim said, sliding into the seat next to him and pushing his bag under his seat. “Surprise.”

Oswald blinked and opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something to say that wouldn ' t be complete foolishness.

Jim huffed and pushed Oswald’s mouth closed. “I figured having one class together would make the year not suck so much.” His hand landed on Oswald’s shoulder and he squeezed it tight. “I called your mom and asked for your schedule and, well, are you mad?”

Oswald shook his head, his black hair falling in his eyes. “No, I’m not mad.” He threw his arm over Jim’s shoulder and pulled him close. “This is wonderful.”

“Hey, break it up, you two. No PDA or I’ll separate you.” The teacher frowned and walked to the front of the class while Oswald giggled and pulled back to his own chair. 

As the teacher set up her desk and the other students wandered into the room, Oswald looked over at Jim and a warmth settled into his chest. He might not hate this school year so much after all. 


End file.
